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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Everyone Has a Story - 3
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Jenia watched as Maide and Neril entered the mercenary guild.
Where was she watching from, you ask? From the sky.
"Grrr."
"Shh. Were you surprised? It's okay now."
She stroked the back of Agril, the divine carriage she was riding, to calm it down.
This beast, which bore a striking resemblance to the dragons of legend, was one of the empire's precious yet "useless" treasures.
It possessed an astonishing speed capable of traversing the continent from one end to the other in just ten days, but no one had ever been permitted to ride on its back.
The past tense "no one" implied that someone could now.
Jenia Side.
She was the vice-captain of the Knights of Light, a master capable of riding and controlling Agril, which had appeared after a staggering three hundred years.
She took a communication orb from her bosom.
"Father-Captain."
-Call me only one or the other. Not both.
Jenia's face flushed red, but she soon forced herself to speak calmly.
"I've spotted Neril. To be precise, Neril and Maide. They entered the mercenary guild in Lior territory."
-Got it. I'll send backup. Just keep watch until then.
"..."
-Don't make hasty contact with Neril. Remember what I said...
"But Captain."
She interrupted Dame's words with a slightly tense voice.
"I think I've been spotted."
-What?
"Maide suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and pointed a dagger at me... No, pointed right at me."
-Impossible! Agril is a divine beast. It's not something detectable by mana-based means. No matter how much of a Witch of Atrocities she is, that doesn't make sense.
How could anyone notice it from hundreds of meters up in the sky?
But Jenia was firm.
"It wasn't the witch. I said it was Maide who pointed at me."
-That makes it even more absurd. A mere mercenary.
"As I mentioned, Maide isn't just any ordinary mercenary."
-...In any case, it's gotten even more dangerous. Return for now.
"..."
-Jenia?
Jenia hesitated for a long moment before speaking.
"He spotted me but didn't run or hide. He boldly walked right into the mercenary guild. He must be confident that I can't stop them."
-...
"I can't just go back like this. I'll confront them myself."
-Jenia!
"Don't worry. I'm not saying I'll fight. Ending communication."
-Wait, hold on!
Click.
Jenia tucked the communication orb back into her bosom and glanced to the side.
There lay a single dagger, placed neatly.
'This is definitely a provocation, right?'
When that dagger had grazed past her ear, chills had run down her entire body.
Spotting Agril was impressive enough, but to then throw a dagger at it.
And that dagger had flown straight and true, ignoring the hundreds of meters of height, like a bolt of lightning.
What surprised her most, though.
'There was no killing intent. He didn't throw it to kill.'
The Unyielding Sword Emperor lived up to his name, it seemed.
Jenia grew curious.
What was the reason behind this invitation?
What did he want to say to her?
For a brief, very brief moment.
Before she knew it, Maide's presence had overshadowed Neril's in Jenia's mind.
Though she herself was unaware of it.
She newly realized one truth of the world.
The truth that Trail was noisy.
[Why the hell did you throw that and cause such a fuss!]
'Calm down a bit.'
[You said Neril and Jenia already have bad blood between them. You're busy building your reputation in Lior territory, so why invite an uninvited guest?]
'That's exactly why.'
[Huh?]
'Jenia's head must be full of Neril right now. Honestly, I want to praise her for not attacking the moment she spotted us.'
[And?]
'I needed to shift even a little of Jenia's attention from Neril to me. Otherwise, how could we even talk?'
Trail seemed convinced for the moment, but true to form, he grumbled.
[Still, throwing a dagger? It seems like a bad way to start first impressions.]
Who knows.
If it were the Jenia I knew, she'd probably be intrigued instead.
Well, we'll see how it plays out.
For now, let's handle what's in front of us.
We were facing the guild master of Lior territory's mercenary guild.
Ever since I showed him my proof medallion, he'd been rubbing his palms together nonstop, like a fly on a table laden with food.
"I never imagined the famed Unyielding Sword Emperor would visit such a backwater place."
"Speak comfortably. And how is this a backwater? In terms of territory size, it's pretty high up the ranks, isn't it?"
"The total output of this massive territory ranks dead last in the empire. Everyone's so lazy they won't lift a finger to work."
"The lord allows that?"
"The lord's the laziest of them all. Seems he finds even oversight a hassle."
At those words, Neril let out a snicker.
The guild master looked at her as if he'd just remembered something and asked.
"But who is this lady?"
I was about to answer, but Neril spoke first.
"Your esteemed lady."
"..."
"What? That's how you introduced me to the coachman."
I ignored her and answered the guild master.
"Just an acquaintance. She's not a mercenary, so don't worry about her."
"Hmm. Understood."
"More importantly, I came here today with one request."
"Anything you say. But could I spread the word that Maide-nim accepted a commission through our guild?"
"That much is fine."
With the simple exchange of terms settled, the guild master's expression turned serious.
"Please speak."
"From the commissions registered at the guild, select ones where I can encounter the Martial King."
"M-Martial King? You mean Ters Kline?"
Who's Ters Kline?
"The Martial King is Atwill Gar...?"
"..."
"Yes. Ters Kline."
Neril turned her head and giggled.
We'll talk later.
"Hmm. I don't know what you're thinking, but there are no commissions related to him."
"Not that he posted it or that we have to work with him. Just ones where I can run into the Martial King."
"Well. Wait."
He rummaged through the stack of commission documents as if something occurred to him.
That was when it happened.
Zing.
I whipped my head toward the window, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Neril did the same.
'Whoa. That prickly killing intent.'
[Yeah. The guild master here doesn't seem to notice.]
'It's directed only at the intended target. Controlling such viscous energy so skillfully. As expected of hero-tier.'
It's Jenia.
The dagger I threw seems to have done its job.
She harbors killing intent toward Neril like this, yet she's holding back from immediate arrest, interrogation, or force.
At the very least, it means she's curious about me enough not to charge in right away.
That was when the guild master, blissfully unaware and thus paradoxically the most relaxed, spoke up.
"Do you know? This place is called the lazybones' territory now, but twenty years ago, it was actually quite lively."
"Yes?"
"Twenty years ago, an inexplicable lethargy began haunting the territory. After about half a year, the lord posted a commission."
Thud.
He placed a very old, worn document down.
-Solve the cause of the lethargy spreading through the territory!
The guild master said in a somber voice.
"It's been unsolved for a full twenty years."
"Hmm."
"If you take this commission, you'll meet the lord. And by the lord's side is always that man, Martial King Ters."
"I understand. I'll take the commission."
"It might tarnish your reputation from the start, so I apologize."
In the past, I might have brushed it off, but not now.
Reputation.
My body twitched at the word.
I took the document carefully and said.
"I'll handle it with full effort."
"Phew. I don't know what's going on, but understood. I'll send word."
"Thank you. How long will it take?"
"Two days."
I nodded and tossed another question.
"What exactly is the Martial King doing in this territory?"
"He's the captain of the lord's direct knight order. But it's an honorary position—just a name on the roster. His main role is close protection of the lord."
"So, a top-ten empire-tier powerhouse is guarding the lord of such a backwater, as you said?"
"He joined the path of the sword by enlisting in this territory's knight order. Must be his deep ties."
I doubt that.
In any case, having gleaned the general info, I stood up.
"Got it. Let me know when preparations are ready. I'll be at the inn."
But Neril didn't stand.
I signaled with my eyes, but she stared out the distant window and spoke.
"Did I do something wrong to her?"
"What nonsense is that?"
"Don't play dumb. There's no way you didn't feel that sticky aura."
I scratched my head.
Both Neril and I had lived lives that made us hypersensitive to such hostility.
Perhaps that's why Neril seemed quite twisted up inside.
"It pisses me off. I've never even tangled with that woman, so why the beef the moment we meet... No, before we even meet."
"You have."
"Huh?"
"Er. Nothing. Let's go for now."
"You're awfully calm amid this pressure? If I'm not mistaken, that woman's already surpassed Dame."
It'd be a problem if she hadn't.
Dame is only empire rank 3, after all.
[Huhu. Right. Only rank 3...]
'...'
[No! That messes up the math.]
'You're still entertaining yourself solo, huh.'
[Yeah. It's a skill I picked up because you ignore me so much.]
When did I ignore you?
[Neril and Jenia are both hero-tier, right? But thirty years ago, when Dame clashed with Neril, she was nearly killed, you said.]
'I never said that. I just repeated the rumor.'
Trail fell silent for a moment before asking.
[That was part of the backroom deal too?]
'Yep. To give the people faith that everything's under perfect control. Even though Neril escaped, rest easy because the far superior Knights of Light are here.'
[Wow. The world's full of lies. No wonder Idria was so strong.]
I tilted my head at his meaningful words.
'What's that supposed to mean?'
[There's stuff like that. You don't need to know.]
I pressed a few more times, but Trail's mouth stayed shut.
That night.
As I was about to lie down, something slid under the door.
Checking it, it was a note... No, a memo.
-Tonight, 11 PM. Near the south gate.
[The shortest invitation I've ever seen.]
'Or a challenge letter.'
[Jenia sent it, right?]
The one who slipped it in was probably an inn servant, but the writer was undoubtedly Jenia.
I grabbed my sword and left the room.
But Neril, whom I thought would be fast asleep, was standing in the hallway.
"What. You're not sleeping?"
"Too much on my mind."
"What. Because of what happened earlier?"
"..."
Neril glanced out the window.
"I've been mulling it over, but I really haven't done anything wrong to Jenia."
"..."
"But maybe I did something wrong without knowing. Something even I'm unaware of."
"That's not it."
I answered firmly.
Neril's Blood Letters clearly listed far more names than her confirmed victims, but Jenia's name wasn't among them.
Neril widened her eyes and asked.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Most of your atrocities were slanders they brought on themselves. This is probably the same. Just speaking probabilistically."
"Hmm. Didn't feel like it."
"..."
"But anyway, I hope you're right."
I tilted my head.
"Not sure how this'll sound, but you didn't seem the type to care about that."
"I wasn't originally. But if my infamy rubs off on you negatively, that'd be a problem."
"Huh?"
"Last time, you said you wouldn't let me rack up more infamy. Doesn't that mean the existing infamy is already a bad influence? I don't know exactly."
"..."
"Just don't like it."
My eyes went wide.
I'd never dreamed she'd say something like that.
Neril looked at my stunned face with dissatisfaction and said.
"Why the face?"
"Hm. Nothing."
"Anyway, heading out?"
"Yeah."
"Jenia must've sent an invitation."
Like a ghost. Spot on.
Neril stretched and said.
"I shouldn't tag along, right?"
"Precisely, you shouldn't."
"Pfft. Yeah. Well, have fun. I'll be asleep."
"Worry a little. I'm off to meet the vice-captain of the Knights of Light."
Neril burst into laughter as if it were the funniest joke in the world.
"Someone else needs worrying more."
Arriving at the meeting spot, I scanned the surroundings. Footsteps approached.
Bright golden blonde hair and blue eyes.
It was Jenia, who usually wore a gentle expression except when dealing with Neril in my previous life.
Whoosh. Clack.
She tossed the dagger I'd sent as a greeting into the air and caught it.
And before even exchanging names, she said this.
"Here, I'll return it."
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